Sunday, April 29, 2012

You've probably heard of a yoga challenge. I know some of you Bikram fanatics have even participated in them.

But have you ever done a health-related challenge and changed up your diet?

Juicing is all the rage these days, and there are lots of ways to detox whether you're going full-out with a master cleanse or simply incorporating more healthy foods into your routine.

Recently I discovered the wonder of GoodBelly vegan probiotic juice drinks with live and active probiotic cultures. GoodBelly's awesome PR team was kind enough to mail me a few VIP vouchers for a free 12 days worth of drinks, so I got going right away on the GoodBelly Challenge.

I highly recommend it, readers!

I could not be more pleased with the results. For over 12 days now, I've been drinking these little smiley-face "straightshots" and/or sips from the GoodBelly quarts. Pomegranate blackberry and mango are my flavors of choice.

I'm a pretty healthy eater, but every now and then I like to indulge. Lately I've been doing a lot that has added up to an unhappy belly: having sweet treats, traveling, not drinking enough water, and experiencing stress. Thankfully, GoodBelly has me back on track -- and I've even been inspired to eat healthier and decrease the amount of meat in my diet.

Plus, I feel more, ahem, regular -- if you know what I mean. :) My intestinal track is happier, and as a result some yoga postures even feel easier (like crow, forward bend, and peacock, for example).

If you want to feel lighter, cleaner and super blissed out, go for this challenge.

Interested in learning more about Probiotics? Here are a few fun facts from GoodBelly:

Probiotics 101:

Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that help establish a healthy balance to the intestinal microflora. They have been found to ease symptoms of diarrhea, constipation, gas, bloating, and other common digestive ailments, as well as support proper immune function. GoodBelly’s patented probiotic, Lp299v, promotes digestive health when taken daily.* Research shows Lp299v survives the passage through the stomach’s acidic environment so it can reach the rest of the digestive system and provide such benefits. Lp299v is one of the most documented and well-researched probiotics with more than 16 research trials, over 17 years, supporting its efficacy.

*Some studies suggest that GoodBelly's probiotics may help balance bacteria in your gut when eaten daily as part of a nutritious diet and healthy lifestyle. GoodBelly is a food product and not a treatment or cure for any medical disorder or disease. If you have any concerns about your digestive system, you should consult your healthcare professional.

Saturday, April 14, 2012

If you haven't seen this video yet, check it out. Caine, you're inspiring. Thank you for being willing to make your art, regardless of how the world responds. You have big things in store for you, little man! :)

Friday, April 13, 2012

Guys, I'm going to Portugal next month! I'll be spending a week in Lisbon for a work event. I'm so, so excited -- I can hardly stand it.

I may also spend a day in Mittenberg, Germany with my mom. (Incidentally, she is in Europe around the same time frame on a cruise with some friends.) There's a chance I'll take a couple days after the work event to see a friend in Madrid, Spain as well.

I'd love your advice on what to see in any of these three cities (Lisbon, Mittenberg and Madrid). What's there that I absolutely shouldn't miss? :)

It's been ages since I was in Europe... the only other time I've visited was when I was a sophomore in high school. I took a whirlwind trip with a bunch of other students to London, Paris and Rome (we saw Florence, too, and that was my favorite). We raced around all over the place for 10 days, but I got to see a lot of landmarks.

Highlights included: seeing Queen Elizabeth wave at the crowd from Buckingham Palace during the parade for her birthday, being up the Eiffel Tower at night, swimming out to a tiny island off the coast of the Isle of Capri, the Louvre, the Sistine Chapel, authentic Italian pizza margherita and gelato, and being blessed by a French monk when we stopped to visit Notre Dame Cathedral.

I can't wait to return as an adult, and as a yogi. I'd like to try and take a few classes while I'm abroad -- please let me know if you guys have suggestions for studios to try.

Monday, April 9, 2012

I've discovered a yoga gem in Evanston: the Dharma Yoga studio on Emerson Street. I love the way I feel after a class there: open, loose, lighthearted.

The people are friendly, and even as a newcomer I can tell that the yogis who practice here make up a loving community. They respect each other, and the space, as they come together to practice.

The teachers lead with grace and enthusiasm, and the flow includes postures I've never attempted before. It has been exciting to try new asanas -- I feel lucky to be expanding my practice, building strength, finding new flexibility, and learning to let go of fear toward new experiences.

Recently, I was equally as surprised as I was curious to discover I can pretty much bring my foot behind my head!

We were about half way through class, and had spent a good portion of the warm up preparing our hips to open. I felt good during the low lunges and swan pose, breathing into the lower back and asking my hips to let go of tension.

Then we moved to lay on our backs on the floor, proceeding with wind removing pose and similar stretches and working our way up to something about like this:

The movements felt pretty comfortable, stretches I had done before. Nothing outrageously challenging. But then the teacher asked us to reach behind the knee, moving the shoulder farther under the leg. All of a sudden, my neighbor yogi had his toes up near his forehead, inching them closer to the outer edge of his neck.

Half-astonished, I tried to let go of my associations about how hard this posture is, tried not to get too caught up in the fact that I was attempting it, and instead tried to track the other yogi's movements, mirroring him. I used my abs to lift my head off the floor (nose to knee), and felt my foot getting close.

"Good!" the teacher said, walking over. "You're almost there." She helped lift my body the last few inches, and I smiled. My foot was behind my head.

In only lasted for a few moments, but it was a glorious introduction to Eka Pada Sirsasana.

Half of me wanted to laugh at how absurd my body felt in the posture (seeing my hips that close to my face was a bit odd!), and the other half of me felt giddy, my heart pumping, energy flowing freely. It was similar to the first time I pulled off crow pose and felt like I had learned to fly -- the world seemed brighter, my own confidence boosted, my heart and spine light and expansive.

I have to say, looking back on it: I'm glad I didn't know what was coming next. I'm glad I didn't have time to second guess myself, or think too hard about putting my foot behind my head. Because I was fully experiencing beginner's mind, and because I was fully immersed in the present moment, I had no choice but to keep moving forward. I didn't resist the posture. I let it shape me.

You can bet I'll be practicing foot-behind-the-head pose again soon, happily working toward the day that having my feet in such a crazy place feels like second nature.

Have you done Eka Pada Sirsasana before? How did you get there? How does the pose make you feel? I'd love to hear your thoughts, and any recommendations on getting deeper into the pose!